Small businesses facing the coming shopping season

Sports Card Heroes

Staff photo by Sarah Pastrana, Patuxent Publishing

Rick Currence is co-owner of Sports Card Heroes, and plans deep discounts during Black Friday sales, which extend through Small Business Saturday and Sunday. The shop has been at Seventh and Main streets for 21 years, but moved to a new location across the street in June.

Rick Currence is co-owner of Sports Card Heroes, and plans deep discounts during Black Friday sales, which extend through Small Business Saturday and Sunday. The shop has been at Seventh and Main streets for 21 years, but moved to a new location across the street in June. (Staff photo by Sarah Pastrana, Patuxent Publishing)

The Black Friday shopping weekend last year brought sales that surpassed expectations at Sports Card Heroes on Main Street.

With a new location across the street, owner Rick Currence is looking forward to the 2012 holiday season, hopeful sales will again surpass projections with new products translating into additional sales.

"But you never know," Currence said standing inside his store. "It's so hard to predict."

While Black Friday attracts shoppers to big box stores and the Mall in Columbia, Currence is extending his hours Friday and opening on Sunday, which is not typical for him.

"It's possibly our biggest weekend of the year," he said.

Also aiding Currence for the weekend will be American Express' national initiative Small Business Saturday,which encourages holiday shoppers to shop at local small businesses instead of visiting their mall Nov. 24.

Laurel officials are promoting the event for the second year since American Express first started Small Business Saturday in 2010, and have even printed reusable shopping bags that promote shopping in Laurel.

Laurel Mayor Craig Moe said it's hard to judge how successful the event has been in Laurel without speaking to every store owner.